Posts By :

Mark

Icons representing fuel, savings, and driver control for fleet card security
Upgrade your Fleet Card’s Security Features 1024 653 Star Oilco

Upgrade your Fleet Card’s Security Features

Human Resource strategies to stop employees from stealing  gas and diesel in your business with these best practices.

Upgrade the security features on your Pacific Pride fuel cards with Star Oilco.

Star Oilco is an independent Franchisee of Pacific Pride

Are you looking to use a corporate fleet card to simplify your fuel buying while also knocking out your exposure to employee gas theft?

Star Oilco can make that easy for you.

Regardless of what system you choose, there are some organizational best practices, that when implemented, will be self-reinforcing in your organization. Simple little changes to how you approach fuel cards will greatly reduce any opportunity for theft.

Whether you use a Pacific Pride, Voyager, WEX, Comdata, Fuelman, or CFN corporate fleet card, you can take inventory of what you are currently doing and upgrade that process with these best practices.

Fleet Card Best Practice #1: Your current vendor should be able to assist you with securing your fleet card.  Call your current card provider and ask for a list of every active card, the last time it was used, the PINs associated with these cards, and security features associated. Check these against your next bill to see what cards aren’t actually being used.  Turn off an card not being used.

Fleet Card Best Practice #2: Annually take inventory of what cards you have and who is using them. Line up this list of active cards with your employees and make sure there isn’t a lost card out there.  Often a card policy implemented by Human Resources or your Dispatcher is a good way to track what employees have what cards.

On a regular basis, pass a clip board around asking each employee with a fleet card to confirm they still have that card and initial a confirmation that the card is still in their possession.  You would be surprised how individual cards can float between employees as it is easier than asking for a new card.

Fleet Card Best Practice #3: Audit your transactions regularly. This is a great project for your Account’s Payable to look through. Check against the card list of active cards looking for transactions that occur outside of normal business hours and days. Look for locations outside of your service area as well.  Also look for cards with more than one transaction in a day or large volumes as often that’s theft.

Fleet Card Best Practice #4: Put your Fleet Cards on the key ring dispatched with the vehicle, not with the driver. To limit a risk of a stolen card, restrict card ownership to management and maintenance. Everyone else should have cards directly connected with a vehicles license plate, so if that card goes missing it is obvious.

Fleet Card Best Practice #5: Program your cards for the vehicles they are attached to. You do this by connecting the card to the vehicle with a key ring. Then program the Fleet Card to only allow a specific fuel for that vehicle (regular, premium or diesel), limit the fill volume needed for that vehicle’s tank, and also limit the times of day that vehicle can get fuel. This reduces the opportunity for theft to exceed a small minimum and also makes theft obvious when the limits are hit.

Fleet Card Best Practice #6: it’s the 21st Century so manage in real time.  Make sure your Fleet Card provider can send an email to your Dispatch or fleet management in real time as the fuel cards are being used. Mistakes relating to efficiency or theft will be far more obvious and trainable if the transaction is observed the day of rather than a week. Instant feedback and communication is critical to change bad behavior of driver’s who mean to do well but may just have mad ea simple mistake.

Fleet Card Best Practice #7: Buy fuel by your vehicle not by an individual.  Move your Fleet Card program to a “Floating PIN” system. All modern Fleet Cards should offer this option. It enables you to attach the Fleet Card to the vehicle (all costs are tracked by the vehicle number and/or license plate on your invoices) and provide a unique and secret PIN to each of your driving employees.

If they use the card, their name appears on the bill next to their transaction. If PINs are kept secret and this is enforced, any theft or inappropriate fuel usage will be extremely obvious and accountable.

Fleet Card Best Practice #8: Adopt a “No Tolerance Fuel Theft Policy” as part of your hiring process, as well as every time you replace or issue new Fleet Cards. This is a policy managed by your Human Resources or Driver Compliance department. It is a form disclosing that any fuel cards or PINs related with cards are confidential and assigned to a person or vehicle.

Any use of a PIN will be the responsibility of the person who that PIN is associated with. A personal private PIN is their responsibility. If it is used, they are responsible and any observed fuel theft will be a first time fire/termination offense. PINs are to be kept secret and if the PIN is known by someone else, it is their responsibility to let management know and get that personal PIN changed.

Fleet Card Best Practice #9: Negotiate a Cost Plus basis for your fleet fueling costs. You should be able to have a frank conversation with your commercial fueling provider about where prices come from and how much margin they charge you. In many markets, fuel providers can even get a wholesale cost plus basis for fuel that beats the retail street mark ups. Pacific Pride and CFN stand alone commercial cardlocks are focused on this type of need. Often the savings for diesel customers is very substantial due to this model of pricing.

Fleet Card Best Practice #10: Negotiate the terms you need for the way you buy fuel. If you have a frank conversation about the terms and costs related with buying fuel, you’ll have more options that are available, but not advertised. Industry standard for fuel sellers is either ten day terms with twice monthly or monthly billing. If you have the ability to pay faster, often deeper discounts are provided.

For extremely large customers daily billing could net thousands of dollars in savings a month. For operations relying on 45 day fuel charge reimbursements, talking to a fuel vendor about matching your fuel bill with a fleet’s Accounts Receivable can prevent huge cash-flow crunches.

Need to secure your fleet from fuel theft?

Call Star Oilco, we can make it easy.

Star Oilco can help you field all of these Best Practices. Our motto is “Keep it Simple” and we are there to make this easy. Feel free to reach out and see what Star Oilco can do for your fleet to upgrade it’s fleet fueling security.

To download a white paper on these Pacific Pride fuel card security feature best practices go HERE to our Stop Fuel Theft page.

 

Star Oilco is an independent Franchisee of Pacific Pride

Contact Form

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Pacific Pride commercial fuel station with service vehicles fueling
How does my business get access to Pacific Pride fueling sites? 1024 556 Star Oilco

How does my business get access to Pacific Pride fueling sites?

What is required for a business to get access to Pacific Pride Cardlock sites in Oregon.

Star Oilco is a proud Independent Franchisee of Pacific Pride.

Get out of the gas line

Pacific Pride Commercial Fueling

24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year without retail waiting in line.

Commercial fuel access for the around-the-clock business.

If you want to start using Pacific Pride cardlock cards in your business, please message or call Star Oilco and we will get you set up with cards. Pacific Pride has many advantages beyond the 24 hour self serve convenience. Pacific Pride is designed to secure fuel cards from internal fraud or theft in both small and large business.

Pacific Pride Fuel Network Graphic

Many small businesses wonder what it takes to use a stand-alone cardlock location as they sit in traffic, seeing the easy in-and-out commercial fueling locations without the lines of retail gas stations. Conveniently located for commercial truck traffic with high flow diesel pumps near industrial areas, ports, and major freeways, commercial cardlock locations have real advantages for many fleets.

As wages rise, the cost of full serve retail gas stations is rising with it and stand-alone commercial fueling can save time as well as money. When businesses see these commercial fueling stations with little wait and 24 hour access, they have questions. Star Oilco can make getting set up with Pacific Pride in Oregon easy.

Self-serve diesel is already legal in Oregon and often cheaper at a commercial cardlock throughout Oregon.
Self-serve gasoline is allowed in several rural counties in Oregon outside of the I-5 corridor. Self-serve gasoline in the more populated parts of Oregon requires a business use described below. If you have a business use for gasoline, you can get access to self serve locations and start saving money over retail immediately.

Pacific Pride Fueling Network Provider

How do you get a Pacific Pride Cardlock Card in Oregon?

Oregon law currently DOES NOT allow self-serve gasoline along the I-5 corridor. Diesel is legally allowed for self serve, but gasoline as a flammable liquid is not. Therefore, the Oregon Fire Marshall has rules restricting the use of commercial cardlock gasoline for individual uses. For commercial uses Pacific Pride, CFN and other Commercial Cardlock networks are allowed for businesses in Oregon. If you operate a fleet, or reside outside of Oregon, these requirements do not apply in your home state, but if you substantially operate in Oregon the state Fire Marshall will have an expectation of these rules applying to you.

What are the rules for using self serve Commercial Cardlock in Oregon?

  • Business purpose required for gasoline cardlock use in Oregon (not any other state).
  • If you are using solely diesel, commercial cardlock is available to everyone (individuals and businesses).
  • If you are planning on fueling gasoline vehicles, you must be a business (or use it for commercial use).
  • To access gasoline at cardlock in Oregon you must be able to prove that you use over 900 gallons of fuel a year.
  • To access gasoline at cardlock in Oregon someone in your business must also take a Oregon Fire Marshall Safety Test.
    • Message Star Oilco below for a copy of the Oregon Fire Marshall Safety Test

If you have questions about Pacific Pride or other cardlock systems please don’t hesitate to contact Star Oilco with any questions you may have. Star Oilco has a long tradition of making cardlock easy for businesses large and small. In particular, we specialize in helping you secure fuel usage to eliminate fuel theft and reduce any chance or opportunity for thieves.

The first step required to getting a Fleet Fuel card for using commercial cardlock is to open up an account with Star Oilco.

For more information about how to use commercial cardlock to secure your business from theft, please also check out Star Oilco’s white paper on knocking out fuel theft by implementing a No Tolerance Fuel Theft Policy in your business at www.NoMoreFuelTheft.com.

Pacific Pride & Star Oilco cardlock card can give you control over when and where fuel is bought.

 

Contact Form

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

 

Star Oilco Logo with Phone number

Star Oilco is a proud independent Franchisee of Pacific Pride

Pacific Pride Cardlock Fuel Security

IBC tote with Visonic remote telemetry sensor for monitoring DEF levels
Biodiesel Handling and Use Guide (5th Edition 2016) 768 1024 Star Oilco

Biodiesel Handling and Use Guide (5th Edition 2016)

Where to start when fueling your fleet with biodiesel.

 

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Biodiesel Handling and Use Guide (Fifth Edition)

If you are a fleet seeking to reduce your CO2 footprint and biodiesel is your drop in solution, this book is your guide.  The Biodiesel Handling and Use Guide is the definitive user’s manual for fleets seeking to field biodiesel and blends as a substitute for petroleum diesel (available from the US Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuel Data Center).

Biodiesel is diesel-rated fuel manufactured from animal fats and vegetable oils by way of a chemical reaction. It is not diesel fuel but it has extremely similar properties, allowing it to be blended with petroleum diesel.

As a drop in fuel, it substantially reduces tailpipe emissions and cuts CO2 emission by more than half when used as a substitute for petroleum diesel. Many states and the federal government have financial incentives to encourage its use. Several states also have mandates for the use of biodiesel as a blend component with diesel fuel.

In the last twenty years biodiesel has come a long way and it is now a mainstream fuel around the United States. In just the last ten years, a great deal has changed with the complexity of diesel engines, the sources of crude oil refined into ultra-low sulfur on road diesel, and the complexity diesel fleets will encounter in operating day-to-day. This book is a scientific and easy-to-read manual to help you navigate success with modern diesel.

The Biodiesel Handling and Use Guide covers the technical aspects of biodiesel and how it differs from petroleum diesel. It also provides advice on higher blends and storing fuel onsite. This guide goes in-depth about equipment compatibility for your refueling infrastructure as well as maintenance concerns you want to get ahead of. There are also checklists included for fleets seeking to move from petroleum diesel to higher blends of biodiesel.

If you have questions or want help in using higher blends of biodiesel in your fleet, don’t hesitate to contact Star Oilco. Even if you are not in our service area, we will be here to help. Star Oilco has been helping fleets succeed with biodiesel blends since 2003.

B20 Biodiesel A PROVEN FUEL

Contact Form

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

For further reading on Biodiesel please see the following Star Oilco pages:

Every Question Star Oilco has been asked about Biodiesel

B20 Biodiesel; a Proven Fuel

Oregon Biodiesel Tax Breaks for Retail Stations

In-Depth look at Biodiesel as a Heating Fuel

 

Gas pump fueling a car with biofuel in front of a green farm field under a blue sky
B20 Biodiesel, a Proven Fuel 1024 408 Star Oilco

B20 Biodiesel, a Proven Fuel

Using Biodiesel in the Pacific Northwest.

(NOTE: B20 refers to 20% biodiesel blended with an 80% petroleum diesel percentage. B5 refers to 5% biodiesel blended with petroleum diesel which is the legally required blend percentage in Oregon state. For more on biodiesel basics, visit the US DOE.)

Biodiesel is the “Drop In Solution” used in the Pacific Northwest to reduce CO2 emissions in diesel equipment.

If you are looking to use Biodiesel in a fleet or a personal vehicle it is as easy as just asking for it.  In Oregon the fuel is everywhere.  From an Oregon and Washington state requirement for a minimum 5% of biodiesel blended with every gallon to large financial incentives this low carbon diesel fuel is ready for you if you want it.

It’s not just the Pacific Northwest.  For years B20 has been a defacto blend at some of the biggest names in fuel. When you pull up to the pump on the west coast you are likely getting B5 or B20 as a blend. In Oregon, B5 biodiesel is the required fuel by law. Oregon also has a B20 incentive for a waiver of state on road taxes.  Washington as well has requirements that biodiesel finds its way into retail and commercial diesel throughout the state.   Additionally, Oregon and California have “Clean Fuel Standard” programs which heavily incentivize low CO2 fuels like biodiesel.  Washington state is expected to pass their own Clean Fuel Standard as well this year.  Biodiesel has been a fact of life in fuel for over a decade in the United States and Pacific NW and it is not going away.

Due to a mix of federal and state incentives to use biodiesel, there can also be financial advantages for a fleet dedicated to making B20 biodiesel its fuel of choice. You can see evidence of this at truck stops and other retailers making B20 available in Oregon and Washington, as well as in the trucking lanes of the United States. America’s largest fleets are choosing B20 biodiesel in order to reduce their cost per mile. So can you.

In an effort to deliver the best value to truckers, many U.S. truck stops are blending biodiesel up to 20% when the market enables them to pass along a lower cost yet high quality ASTM specified diesel fuel to their customers. Most prominent is Pilot/Flying J, who lists where and when their sites are serving up B20 or lower blends. Pilot/Flying J buys biodiesel directly and blends on site in order to give their customers the best value possible. Loves Travel Centers also sell biodiesel blends around the U.S.

In Oregon, due to a diesel road tax waiver on B20 sales, gas station retailers Safeway, Leathers Fuel, Spaceage, and others are offering B20 biodiesel as their retail diesel offering. Oregon’s system requires the biodiesel be sourced from used vegetable oil refined biodiesel products. Biodiesel has been in Oregon’s fuel supply since 2006 when the city of Portland mandated B5 biodiesel blends within its city limits. The state of Oregon followed Portland with its own statewide mandate not long after.

(NOTE: If you operate a retail gas station and are curious about Oregon’s fuel tax breaks for biodiesel blends here is a more in depth article Oregon Biodiesel Tax Breaks for Retail Fuel Stations that explains these rules for retailers of fuel).

Biodiesel has been in our fuel system since 2006 and the technology that goes into making it has vastly improved. It is proven in diesel engine performance while also creating a diversified supply for energy and significantly reducing emissions from the working fleets of the world. Biodiesel substantially reduces emission coming out of your stack without a major impact on price because it helps to offset high diesel prices.

B20 Biodiesel A PROVEN FUEL

If you want to look at using B20 blends in your fleet, we are here to help. Star Oilco carries B20 blends for mobile onsite refueling every day of the week. We also have dyed/off-road/heating oil blends of B20. If you are an over the road fleet we can provide B20 at our cardlocks as well as help you procure it with a fleetcard over the road. Let us know if we can be of help.

Contact Form

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Close-up of a person selecting a red fuel nozzle at a gas station pump
Lock down your gas card from theft in Oregon 683 1024 Star Oilco

Lock down your gas card from theft in Oregon

Pacific Pride Cardlock in Portland, Oregon.

If you are in Oregon, the widespread available Pacific Pride and CFN commercial fueling sites allows you to lock down your gas card security.  Eliminate fuel theft and save money with commercial fueling.

Star Oilco is an independent Franchisee of Pacific Pride

Pacific Pride Fueling Network Provider

If you have employees buying gasoline for your business fleet, the most expensive risk to your business is fuel theft. Use Star Oilco to secure yourself from that fuel theft while also saving on your cost of fuel over retail. As Oregon’s minimum wage and regulations increase so does the cost at retail gas stations. We can save you money and significantly reduce your risk of fuel theft while also getting your drivers out of retail gas station lines.

Stand alone commercial only Pacific Pride and CFN sites in Oregon are a real resource for small business. They speed up the labor associated with fueling and significantly lock down the chance fraud or theft will occur to you related with a fuel card. Given Oregon has a legal history of outlawing self serve of gasoline, these commercial only sites are near industrial and commercial areas.

What do you need to access a Commercial Cardlock in Oregon?

All you need to access Pacific Pride sites in Oregon is a business license and proof that you use over 900 gallons of total fuel a year. CFN commercial cardlock sites have the same requirements. If you are a business using a commercial quantity of fuel, you qualify to self serve gasoline and you can stop paying your employees to shop at the most expensive retail gas stations with the best mini-mart selection. Instead, get them back on the road 24-7 and usually without a line to wait in.

Regardless of what system you choose, there are some organizational best practices that when implemented, will be self-reinforcing in your organization. Simple little changes to how you approach fuel cards will greatly reduce any opportunity for theft. These commercial sites also often can take other commercial gas cards as well. Typically anything with a Fuelman logo, Voyager, WEX, Comdata, and several others allow you to access Pacific Pride sites in Oregon.

With Pacific Pride and CFN stand alone commercial cardlock sites, there are other benefits beyond just the convenience. The biggest difference is that these commercial cardlock sites are built with security for your gas cards in mind. Retail stations are engineered to sell as many products as possible to those pulling up for gasoline. Commercial cardlock sites are designed for commercial users who seek the fastest fueling experience. That is a big difference between the two.

Commercial Cardlock also provides superior security if you use it strategically.

Top 5 Strategies to lock down your gas card from theft.

Pacific Pride Fleet Card

Gas Card Strategy #1

TAKE INVENTORY OF YOUR GAS CARDS – Annually take inventory of what cards you have and who is using them. Star Oilco will gladly do this for you in conjunction with our annual Oregon Fire Marshall audit. We will line up a list of active cards with your employees and make sure there isn’t a lost or unused card out there. You can also do this more regularly in-house. Often a card policy implemented by Human Resources or your Dispatcher is a good way to track what employees (or vehicles) have what cards. On a regular basis, pass a clip board around asking each employee with a fleet card to confirm they still have that card and initial a confirmation that the card is still in their possession. You would be surprised how individual cards can float between employees as it is easier than asking for a new card.

Gas Card Strategy #2

HAVE AP AUDIT YOUR TRANSACTIONS – Audit your transactions regularly for the one thing that most likely is theft. Just look for multiple transactions per day on a single vehicle or card. Also check for switching fuel types and refuels when your business isn’t open. Having your Accounts Payable looking for transactions that occur outside of normal business hours and days or more than once a day is usually the best way to spot theft. Look for locations outside of your service area as well. Also look for cards with more than one transaction in a day or large volumes. The most common times of day for employee fuel theft are early morning on the way to work (before you open) or after the bars close after midnight.

Gas Card Strategy #3

 ATTACH GAS CARDS TO VEHICLE KEYS – Put your Fleet Cards on the key ring dispatched with the vehicle, not with the driver. To limit a risk of a stolen card, restrict card ownership to management and maintenance. Everyone else should have cards directly connected with a vehicles license plate, so if that card goes missing it is obvious. You  can also connect this strategy to an e-receipt program so you are seeing fuel buying in real time as well.

Gas Card Strategy #4

SET THE GAS CARDS UP WITH LIMITS –  Program your cards for the vehicles they are attached to.  You know historically the max amount of gasoline a vehicle can use.  Limit it to that. You can also restrict a card to ensure no one accidetnaly buys expensive premium or worse puts the wrong fuel in the vehicle. By programming the gas card to only allow a specific fuel and amount for that vehicle (regular, premium or diesel) you lock the card down from theives.  This reduces the opportunity for theft to exceed a small minimum and also makes theft obvious when the limits are hit. You an also add limits on zip codes, states, and times of days.  If someone does steal a card they would be limited of the time, how much, and where they could buy fuel making sure your own theft exposure is a few dozen gallons instead of thousands of dollars.

Gas Card Strategy #5

USE E-RECEIPTS TO MANAGE FUEL IN REAL TIME – It’s the 21st Century so manage in real time. If your gas card is emailing your Dispatch or fleet management in real time as the fuel cards are being used, you can address anything the day of. Better yet, if theft is occurring you will see it immediately and be able to react. Not only will this lock down your gas card’s security, it will also allow you to address mistakes relating to efficiency. Instant feedback and communication is critical to change bad behavior of drivers who mean to do well but may just have made a simple mistake.


Lock down your gas card from fuel theft?

Call Star Oilco, we can make it simple.

Star Oilco can help you field all of these best practices. Our motto is “Keep it Simple” and we are here to make this easy. Feel free to reach out and see what Star Oilco can do for your fleet to upgrade its fleet fueling security.

To download a white paper on these Pacific Pride fuel card security feature best practices, go to our Stop Fuel Theft page.

 

Star Oilco is an independent Franchisee of Pacific Pride

Contact Form

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Close-up of diesel engine with visible oil cap, piping, and metal components
Bulk diesel desiccant filters, dry fuel, and keeping your diesel fuel clean. 1024 684 Star Oilco

Bulk diesel desiccant filters, dry fuel, and keeping your diesel fuel clean.

Bulk diesel fuel delivery and storage best practice.

Use Desiccant Breathers and Premium Diesel additives to improve your diesel performance and reduce maintenance cost.

Save tens of thousands on fleet maintenance costs!

How? Clean, dry, and premium-treated diesel.

Reduce injector wear and particulate trap service needs with simple steps focused on fuel quality. Get the water and dirt out of your fuel with aggressive filtration and then upgrade the fuel’s lubricity, detergency, cetane, and performance with Hyrdrotex Power Kleen premium diesel.

Call Star Oilco if you want to permanently solve bulk diesel quality issues with our Precision Fuel Management program.

Do you have a bulk diesel storage tank?

Does that tank seem to have water in the bottom of it and you can’t seem to figure out where it’s coming from?

You call your diesel supplier and they say they know it isn’t them. If that’s your experience, Star Oilco can explain where that water is probably coming from. With the help of Hydrotex, Star Oilco can also lab test your fuel quality and prove we are in improving it as well.

desiccant filter in field

All storage tanks are different. But for the most part, if your tank seems to take on water randomly. It’s probably from the tank breathing. Especially if you have a large above ground tank. In fact, if you tracked it on a calendar it probably happens the same time of year in conjunction with a weather pattern your tank responds to.

How it works is as the temperature changes the tank’s space that is not filled with fuel will breathe in and out. The temperature and air pressure move air in and out of the tank. As does dispensing fuel out of the tank and then refilling the tank. When that happens, especially if you have a significant amount of humidity in the air or misting rain, water makes it’s way into your fuel supply. As temperatures change, moisture is drawn into the tank, condenses on the inner wall of the tank, and then deposits itself on the bottom of the tank.

This water not only poses a risk to your engines, but if your fuel isn’t treated for stability and performance, that fuel is guaranteed to start growing bugs and algae that will spread throughout your fleet and will have your mechanics spinning filters and dealing with random problems due to this diesel biological growth.

This problem is also exacerbated by ineffective fuel additives trying to keep your fuel dry, clean and safe for your injectors to process, which ensures that water does not get absorbed by your diesel. A single drop of water falling out of solution in today’s high pressure fuel rails and your engine can blow an injector.

HOW DO YOU SOLVE WATER IN YOUR DIESEL TANK?

ANSWER: DESICCANT BREATHERS ON YOUR VENTS

Desiccant diagram

Star Oilco recommends Donaldson desiccant filters, given their excellent full line of products and support. More on the full Donaldson Clean Dry Fuel program here: Donaldson Clean Diesel Kits Brochure.

The Donaldson desiccant breaker mounts to the top of a tank at it’s vent point. This addition seals the point of failure for water to get into your tank. Though in some cases it doesn’t stop 100% of water from ending up in your fuel tank, it definitely guarantees you know where it won’t be coming from, the environment around your tank.

(NOTE: If dealing with underground storage tanks also be aware that if you seal the vent with a desiccant filter and you still have incident’s of water, it might be a leak in the bottom of the tank where rain water is making its way into the tank.)

By using Donaldson filters, Star Oilco also gains the benefit of support from Hydrotex PowerKleen diesel fuel lab to analyze fuel to guarantee that the before and after samples of the fuel are moving as expected and the problem is solved. Running diesel samples can cost as much as $200 each time–having a partner that backs up our solutions with ASTM and ISO measured verification is a must.

The first step in getting better performance from your diesel fuel is to test your bulk diesel storage tank.

To get a complementary ASTM diesel fuel test, contact Star Oilco for assistance.

Clean, dry, premium diesel

Tank Testing Form

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Close-up of diesel engine components and fuel system
Keep and make your diesel fuel cleaner 1024 768 Star Oilco

Keep and make your diesel fuel cleaner

Clean, dry, premium diesel

What is Clean Diesel? 

Clean diesel is free of the contaminants that harm modern diesel engines. Today, there is a gap between ASTM diesel standards and the ISO cleanliness standards needed for use in high pressure common rail engines. Anyone operating a modern clean diesel engine is seeing the effect, including injector replacement, DPF regeneration, and a host of other fuel quality related maintenance concerns we never saw twenty years ago. On top of all of that, today’s refined diesel fuels are less storage stable then ever before. What is on the bottom of your bulk tank can also complicate matters further. When diesel is bought wholesale it typically meets and exceeds ASTM required industry standards, but almost always requires additional filtration to avoid excessive engine wear and premature part failures.

Having clean diesel requires an additional amount of care. Namely, you need to make sure that the fuel is aggressively filtered at 4 microns to catch the microscopic particles that are big enough to damage your modern diesel engine’s high pressure fuel rail system. Furthermore, clean diesel is fuel that is free of water and stabilized with Premium Diesel to guarantee no bacteria, yeast and other creatures can grow and further contaminate the saddle tanks on your trucks.

For more on clean diesel, see Donaldson’s description of “The New Clean” for an in-depth explanation of what ISO cleanliness and filtration mean for your diesel fleet.

Making Diesel Cleaner!

Knowing the quality of your fuel is the first step. This is done by taking samples off of the bottom of your bulk storage, as well as a representative sample from your fuel dispenser. Lab tests of those samples will tell you if you have water, biological growth, or dirt issues with your storage. The contaminants in the tank being sampled are almost always visible, which is to say that they look horribly ugly. If your fuel quality assurance has been on autopilot, do not be surprised if you find this. After gathering knowledge about your fuel, the next step is to get your fuel quality clean.

Filtration and tank bottom sampling is the start. Beyond that, the only way to improve your fuel quality performance is to filter your fuel, ensure water is not getting into the tank through condensation, and additize it with a Premium Diesel additive to upgrade the performance of the fuel. Many fleets today are seeing injector wear and continual problems with particulate trap maintenance. This is a combination of water in fuel and microscopic particles not captured by a 10 or 30 micron filter used at most diesel dispensers. You have to filter more aggressively than this.

Clean, Dry, and Premium Diesel!  Where To Start?

The first step is sampling your bulk diesel tank. We check your bulk tank for water and dirt, and make sure to meet the specifications your engine is built for. Star Oilco can help by providing a complementary diesel test for those fleets interested in taking control of their fuel quality assurance. Usually when testing fuel, we take a sample off of the tank bottom as well as a representative sample out of the fuel dispensing nozzle.

What we usually find is ASTM specification diesel fuel (it meets ASTM spec) that is higher than you’d want (still in spec) for water with far more dirt than the OEM’s would want to see in your engine. This dirt fails to be within the “ISO Cleanliness” specifications recommended by engine manufacturers. Usually we also see water on the bottom of the fuel tank, which is a likely source for future or current biological growth in your fuel tank.

Star Oilco can help you fix this! The first step is to sample your fuel tank.

NOTE: If you have a current biological growth problem in your bulk fuel tank or fleet, your first step is to treat that effected fuel with a diesel microbiocide to kill the bugs growing in your tank. For more on this, see our Valvtect Plus 6 Diesel Microbiocide page.

Tank Testing Form

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Golden diesel fuel swirling in abstract motion
Star Oilco Diesel Fuel Quality Assurance 1024 574 Star Oilco

Star Oilco Diesel Fuel Quality Assurance

 

Diesel Fuel Tank Cleaner

 

  • Diesel Fuel Is Often A Company’s Largest Expense. Unfortunately, there is very little control over its quality.
  • Fuel Quality Has Declined over the last 25 years…
  • Engine manufacturers have tightened the tolerances for fuel
  • Newer tier 4 engines starting from 2008 need cleaner fuel

 

“Over the last two decades, the cetane number and the API gravity, the basic measures of crude oil quality have declined.”

—Society of Automotive Engineers, (SAE) Bulletin 872243

 

 

Cetane number is actually a measure of a fuel’s ignition delay. This is the time period between the start of injection and start of combustion (ignition) of the fuel. In a particular diesel engine, higher cetane fuels will have shorter ignition delay periods than lower cetane fuels.

So what is a typical API gravity for diesel fuel? The classic book “Petroleum Refinery Engineering” by W.L. Nelson (4th ed., McGraw-Hill, 1958) gives numbers ranging from about 25 to 40 (with “Grade 1-D” around 40 and “Grade 2-D” around 35). In a Web search using the keywords “diesel” and “API gravity” I found a couple of sites with specs for #2 diesel fuel; these had minimum values of 26 and 30 API gravity. So a reasonable guess would be that typical #2 diesel fuel would have an API gravity of about 35; I’ll let you plug that into the above formula to get the specific gravity.

The densities of petroleum products are traditionally (especially in the U.S.) expressed as “API Gravity” The API Gravity is related to the specific gravity by the equation: API = (141.5/SPGR) – 131.5, where the specific gravity is the density relative to that of water and everything is measured at a temperature of 60 degrees F.

MadSci Network © 1997, Washington University Medical School

“Diesel fuel quality has deteriorated for the past 20 years and is expected to continue this trend for the foreseeable future.”

American Society for Testing and Materials, (ASTM) Pub. # 10056

 

COMMON PROBLEMS WITH 21st CENTURY DIESEL FUEL IN THE PACIFIC NW

Fuel Quality Deterioration

industrial-townProblem 1

 

Problem 2

 

Problem 3

Problem 6a

 

 

Problem 4

 

Problem 4a

 

 

Problem 5

Problem 3b

Problem 6

The odds are stacked against the fleet owners

what can be done to help alleviate or control the problems?

you have questions, we have the solutions, call us to find out.

 CAll Today

If you have bulk fuel storage, the first step is testing your tank bottom and what is coming out of the nozzle.  Star Oilco can do a complementary  ASTM and ISO specification analysis of your diesel fuel.  If you are seeing recurring fuel system issue, the first step is to make sure your bulk storage isn’t the problem. We can help.

Tank Testing Form

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Downtown Portland street view with iconic Portland sign
Oregon Biodiesel and Ethanol Fuel Mandates 1024 640 Star Oilco

Oregon Biodiesel and Ethanol Fuel Mandates

Oregon Biofuel Blending Requirements for Gasoline and Diesel.

Oregon law has a 5% Biodiesel and 10% Ethanol fuel blend mandate.

In Oregon, you can expect to buy a biofuel with every gallon of gas or diesel, whether you are buying at a retail pump or commercially delivered bulk fuel. Unless you are expressly seeking out a ethanol-free premium unleaded or off road heating oil expressly free of biodiesel, you can expect the fuel will have a low carbon blend of biofuel in it.

Why does Oregon have biofuel blended in every gallon of fuel?

There are several layers of rules, requirements, and incentives placing a minimum of 5% biodiesel blend in diesel and a 10% ethanol blend in gasoline. The City of Portland’s Bureau of Development Services provides information and resources on the background of both Portland and Oregon’s requirements.

Oregon state has a 5% blend mandate for all diesel fuels sold statewide. Portland has its own standard of for 5% biofule in diesel, which is slightly different but functionally the same as the states. Oregon’s standard requires B5/R5 if it’s sold into  machinery (dyed off road or clear on road diesel), which requires a 5% biofuel component. In the  formation of this Oregon statewide mandate, renewable diesel was considered acceptable.

Oregon also has a 10% ethanol blend mandate for all gasoline fuels with a few exceptions. Portland has this same rule as it mandated ethanol blends prior to Oregon state. Oregon has exceptions for ethanol-free premium unleaded.  (Warning: the City of Portland has no exemption for non-oxygenated premium fuels) though there are some sellers of it. Oregon state’s exceptions being premium gasoline for aviation and non-ethanol premium gasoline sold at retail gas stations. This was adopted later after the initial Renewable Fuel Standard mandates. Portland did not follow Oregon with this flexibility for small engine or classic car enthusiasts seeking non-ethanol fuel.

The rules that drive biofuel use in Oregon’s fuel:

The City of Portland has its own Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) which is seen in Portland City Code Chapter 16.60 Motor Vehicle Fuels. This RFS requires all diesel sold (either commercial or retail fuel) to contain a minimum 5% biodiesel (specifically methyl-ester molecule). The RFS also requires all gasoline sold (either commercial or retail gas stations) to contain a 10% blend of ethanol. In addition to this fuel blend requirement, Portland also has requirements for the original feedstock biodiesel is made from. Portland requires that 50% of the biodiesel feedstock be sourced from recycled vegetable oil, canola oil, and a few other types available in the Pacific NW.

The State of Oregon has its own Renewable Fuel Standard. It is less restrictive than Portland’s, allowing renewable diesel or biodiesel to meet its 5% blend requirement. You can find the law in Oregon Revised Statute 646.922. The Oregon RFS also requires a 10% ethanol to be blended with gasoline. There is an exception for premium gasoline to be ethanol-free.  This fuel is commonly called “Non-Oxy Premium” or “Clear Premium” by those seeking to order it.

If you want more information on successfully using Biodiesel and Ethanol in your fleet.

If your fleet is seeking to succeed with biofuels, here are some great resources to learn more about biodiesel, ethanol,  and renewable diesel fuels.

If you have questions about biofuels, Star Oilco can help. Do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions, even if you are not in our market. We want you to be successful in your fleet.  We are here to help.

Contact Form

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Map of the United States showing 65,000 Pacific Pride cardlock locations with fuel card in foreground
Use Pacific Pride Cardlock to Fuel your Portland, Oregon Fleet 1024 593 Star Oilco

Use Pacific Pride Cardlock to Fuel your Portland, Oregon Fleet


Seize Control of Your Fuel Spending with Pacific Pride Cardlock

A Pacific Pride Cardlock Card gives you the ultimate control over when and where fuel is purchased. Plus, we guarantee the highest level of control by offering human support to make it easy for a small business. You have enough to manage and don’t need another website to log into! Know who bought what, when, and where — in real time — to better manage the buying decisions by your drivers.

Pacific Pride, CFN, WEX, Voyager and other fleet cards all have similar tools. But with Pacific Pride Cardlock, you’ll benefit from stand alone commercial fuel sites that are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

In Oregon, the minimum wage is rising and that means the retail price of fuel is rising to pay for those wages.  While other cards require you to wait in line and pay someone to fuel your vehicle in Oregon, Pacific Pride stand alone cardlock locations avoid that needless labor and allow your business to serve itself around the clock. Get out of fuel lines and save on your total cost of fuel.

Beyond the time and money savings of avoiding retail fuel lines, Pacific Pride cardlock also is far more secure to protect you from someone stealing fuel with your fleet card. Star Oilco’s Pacific Pride cardlock offering has a single simple tool for you: a human being on the other side helping make sure the total program is working. We help you grab control of every drop, dollar and driver.

We are your partner in Fleet Card and Cardlock Card success.

Star Oilco goes one step further than our competitors by keeping things simple and easy for you. This is done with the obvious human element and best practices that complete the full value that a secured fuel card offers.

Call us and have us take care of that for you. You tell us what you want, we’ll consult with you and you’ll get a working card program.

This is what we recommend for your non-management cards:

  1. Secure your fleet card to a vehicle (attached to the license plate on the bill or place the fleet card on the key ring of the vehicle).
  2. Designate your vehicle cards to only work in the state’s zip codes that you service during the times of day you operate as a business.
  3. Give each driver a unique and secret PIN attached to their name (so when they use a card, their name appears on the bill next to the transaction).
  4. Implement a “No Tolerance Fuel Theft Policy” with your Human Resource policy. Have every employee sign a contract with your business that they own their personal secret PIN and it is only for them to use. Star Oilco can provide a recommended policy for you to use. Then, if they share their PIN with someone else, they will be responsible for anything that happens. If theft is happening, it is a “No Tolerance” dismissal offense on the first occurrence.
  5. Use the e-receipts to see in real-time fuel purchases. An electronic receipt is emailed to your Controller or Dispatcher to watch for off-policy fuel usage in real time, which allows your Dispatch or Management to respond the same day to questionable decisions around fuel cards.

Now, imagine how this works for your business in practice.

You can set up restrictions by days of the week, hours of the day or even by zip codes. If your business does not operate on weekends, turn off the fuel cards during the times you do not operate. If your fleet is never on the road before 7am and is back at home by 7pm every night, set up those time restrictions to make it that much harder for fuel theft to occur. If you need to update this, change something, order cards, etc., just call our office and we take care of that update for you.

With our e-receipts, your Dispatch will get an email every time fuel is purchased. You will see where, what, when and with whom this occurs. You can reinforce your company fuel policies at the local level the same day — No more waiting for the bill to see if a driver did something that cost you money. By seizing control of your fuel, your drivers will also respond to your new level of control as well. By having control and transparency of what your drivers do, they will require less management as they know you are watching.

Often the most controllable expense related with fuel is the fuel that might slip through a business due to unethical employees or outside theft. Fuel slippage is the industry term for unauthorized fuel taking. With Pacific Pride cardlock fuel, you can take control over fuel purchases and avoid the loss up front with card controls. Contact Star Oilco for a total fuel security solution for your business.

Seize control with Star Oilco’s corporate fleet card solutions.

If you have further questions about Pacific Pride and control of your fleet fueling, call us at 503-283-1256 or contact us using the form below.

 

Contact Form

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Star Oilco is a proud Independent Franchisee of Pacific Pride

Pacific Pride Cardlock Fuel Security